The Burtnieki Manor ensemble was built in the 18th-19th century when, after several changes of owners, the estate became the property of the Schroeder family. Around 1860, the Schroeders set about laying out a park. The park is remarkable for its grand staircase each step of which has been hewn from a solid block of granite brought to Latvia from Finland. Another attraction is a vase named "Seasons", decorated with sculptures.
The Burtnieki Manor Park is one of the best maintained rural estate parks in Latvia and is home to more than 70 species of trees and shrubs. The park, laid out in the mid-19th cent. by the last owner of the estate Wilhelm von Schroeder, still retains some features of its former splendour - a staircase of solid granite slabs, a fountain and other elements.
The manor building is now a private property and can only be viewed from the outside but the visitors can take a stroll in the lovely park. The Vīsrags Path leads right from the gates, telling the story of the manor and the park.
References:The Château du Lude is one of the many great châteaux of the Loire Valley in France. Le Lude is the most northerly château of the Loire Valley and one of the last important historic castles in France, still inhabited by the same family for the last 260 years. The château is testimony to four centuries of French architecture, as a stronghold transformed into an elegant house during the Renaissance and the 18th century. The monument is located in the valley of Le Loir. Its gardens have evolved throughout the centuries.